The remains of up to 500 German prisoners of war have been unearthed in Georgia’s south-eastern city of Rustavi, revealing a site of World War II-era burials.

The remains were discovered in the Tchkondideli Settlement of the city located south-east of capital Tbilisi, where digs have been carried out since November of last year.

The discovery has been made near the building of a former factory for ventilation equipment in the industrial city.

A report for Radio Tavisupleba quoted an expert on saying the remains featured no signs of violence, leading to the belief that they died through illness or malnutrition.

The works on the site are led by the People’s Union for Looking After Graves of German Prisoners of War and also involve employees of the Rustavi Museum of History.

Rustavi had been a location for several PoW camps, with around 4,000 German soldiers — captured during fighting on the Eastern Front — brought to the area to work on constructions of the city’s factories and buildings throughout 1944 and 1945.

The digs are expected to run though the end of this year, with remains to be reburied to a yet unspecified military cemetery.